Hong Kong's Szeto Wah

I am a combination of both cynicism and idealism.

So while sorting out old books to give away, I cannot help but feel both a tinge of sadness, and a whole lot of admiration when I stumbled upon a book written by Hong Kong democracy activist Szeto Wah (司徒华, pictured right).

In his book 捨命陪君子, a book from my Hong Kong days in 1998, he wrote:

"我感到骄傲. 因为我有一个中国梦. 因为我有一个中国梦, 有一个结束 "一党专政, 建设民主中国" 的中国梦.

我感到骄傲. 因为我坚信, 最终胜利是属于我们; 任何困难, 都吓不到我们, 阻挡不了我们与历史潮流同步的前进. 一个民主的香港, 一个民主的中国, 必定实现."

Translated: "I feel proud, because I have a China dream. Because I have a China dream, a China dream of ending "one-party rule, and building a democratic China.

I feel proud, because I firmly believe that final victory will belong to us, no difficulties will deter us, nor stand as obstacles to our march in tandem with the historical trend. A democratic Hong Kong, a democratic China, will definitely be realized."

I do not know when China will be democratic. But when it does, it will be built on the countless shoulders of people like Szeto Wah. And most importantly, on the fluid internal changes within China itself.